13 key steps in the design process

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Many businesses, especially start ups or small businesses struggle with the design process and how to work with a designer. Here is an overview of the process to make it easier to understand.

A brochure design showcasing wholesale artisan bakery Debaere

There are 13 main steps – the ‘designline’.

1. Client need

   Your business has a design requirement: a logo for a new venture, a leaflet or flyer to promote an event or offer, an exhibition stand or roller banner for an expo. Your design skills are limited, you find it very confusing, you need expertise.

   

   Logo & branding, leaflet and business card design for Vieri hair stylist

2. Approach designer

   You research local designers and find one that you feel meets your needs: experience, quality, price and so on. You ask them to quote for a job.

3. Design meeting/conversation with designer

   It is difficult to quote for a job when you don’t know exactly what it is the client needs or wants. Sometimes they don’t really know themselves.You have an initial conversation with the designer to tell them what you’re looking for.

   

   Leaflet design for The Events Hub

4. Full creative brief decided – scope of work

   Often in the conversation with the designer the scope of what the client wants and needs becomes larger. Be clear on what you want.

   A full creative brief for the project (often called the scope of work) should be completed, so the designer knows exactly what is required.

5. Initial concepts to client

   Once the contract has been signed the designer will start work, fitting the project into their work load, taking into account your deadline and what else they have on.They will create initial concepts or layouts depending on what the client requirement is.

   For logos (depending on what price has been agreed), 3 (or more) concepts are often created. With a leaflet, one initial design is usually created (unless the client has specified more in their initial brief). For a brochure, ideas for spreads are usually the case – for instance, a front cover, a double page spread (dps) showing how the contents and introduction may look and a double page spread of how the main pages could look.

   The designer will then send these to the client, as a low resolution pdf, or other sharing platform.

   

   Star wars exhibition design for Hasbro

6. Client reviews designs

   The client then reviews the suggested designs. You may want to take a few days (depending on how urgent your deadline is), to ‘sit with’ the designs, so that you know whether they resonate with you and whether they meet your needs. You may want to get peer input from friends, business contacts and so on.

7. Feedback to designer

   When the client is ready, give your feedback to the designer, detailing what elements you did like and anything you didn’t, or felt didn’t quite meet what you had in mind.

   

   JLB Support Solutions logo design

8. Designer revises design/s to feedback

   The designer will then take on board you comments and revise the work.

9. Designer resubmits designs to client

   The designer will supply you with revised low resolution pdfs to review. Most designers include 1 round of revisions in their price. Any other revisions are usually then charged on top pro rata in an hourly rate.

   To avoid extra revision charges, make sure:
   • Your initial brief is very clear
   • Supply final approved copy (text) to your designer when the project first starts
   • Images you supply are good enough quality for print
   • Don’t keep chopping and changing the scope of the brief

   

   Roller banner design for shamanic healer Dawn Petherick

10. Client approval/sign off

    Once you’ve checked the proof and are happy with it, the designer will ask for your approval in writing. Usually by email is good enough, but some may use a more formal sign off sheet.

    What you need to check when signing off

    • That you have checked all the copy is spelt correctly and reads properly
    • That the date, time and venue of an event is correct
    • That the copyright for the images you have supplied is either yours, or you have got the correct copyright permission from the image owner.
    • That important elements aren’t missing, off the page, or covering something else (they shouldn’t be but sometimes when a pdf is created technical issues can happen)
    • The size is correct (it should already be, but still worth checking)

    NB: Once you have signed the design off, the responsibility for there being anything wrong with the design rests with you. Be very thorough in your checking.

11. Designer provides final files

    Once the designer receives final Sign Off, they will create the final files for you. This could be final high resolution print files or files for you to share online or elsewhere.

    

    Bespoke, hand glued invite design for an international property company

12. Printing

    If the job requires printing, send your file to whichever printer best serves your needs. Some designers offer a Print Management service, where they source a printer for you and manage the whole process.

13. Design brings results

    Once you get the printed job back from the printer, or the web files from the designer, you can start using it. Everyone loves it and it brings you results.

Lego retail ceiling design

To read about ‘designer speak’ – the terms that designers use, read my next blog here

To see more examples of the extensive design work I’ve carried out for my clients visit the Design page of www.iconiccreative.co.uk.

To discuss your design requirements email me at info @ iconiccreative.co.uk or call 0775 341 3005.

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